County commissioners said little would change in animal control services for the city after Athens City Council voted to remove the Animal Control Officer position Monday.
Commissioner Lenny Eliason said the dog shelter staff would continue providing the same services he does now, as the Ohio Revised Code only requires that he patrol and seize dogs on sight. The county dog warden does not respond to calls for animals within city limits.
The county proposed that the city pay $1 per person for increased animal control services, totaling about $23,000 per year, Eliason said. This price is just over half the $43,000 the city paid former Animal Control Officer Lana Planisek last year, Eliason said.
They can't get the same service they used to pay for free
Eliason said.
Also at yesterday's meeting, Athens County Sheriff Vern Castle asked commissioners to lease seven new Ford Crown Victoria sedans, which he estimated would cost around $25,000 each. Commissioners leased seven new vehicles in 2007, and three were crashed in the first six months, Eliason said. The county still owes one-third, or about $67,400, of the lease payments for these vehicles.
Based on expected funding decreases for next year, Eliason suggested a lease that commissioners could opt out of if necessary.
We're not down to the worst funding we've had he said, but we will be down by at least $500 000 next year.
Along with the seven 2007 vehicles, the sheriff's department has five 2005 vehicles, seven 2003 vehicles, two 2000 vehicles and two 1998 vehicles, according to a report prepared by Commissioner Bill Theisen.
Of those, one vehicle has been driven for over 200,000 miles and another seven have been driven over 100,000 miles. Of the 23 vehicles, 12 are in good condition and the rest are in very poor, poor or fair condition.When you get 200
000 miles on a car
you never know what can happen
said Deputy Rodney Smith of the Athens County Sheriff's Office.
Commissioners suggested that the sheriff return next week with more exact prices and a statement of the amount of money left in his $50,000 line-item maintenance account.
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